Goodbye For Now

Hello loves :) Just wanna inform you I'll be gone from social media for awhile. I closed down my twitter temporarily, until I feel like my tweets won't be of me constantly bickering about things going on in my life.. :) On ask.fm, I'll still be answering your questions, but no more personal ones anymore. That was a mistake hehe, it made me look too vulnerable. For Instagram, I won't be the one updating it, I've asked my friend to upload things for me and stuff, so if you guys comment, I'm sorry if I won't get to answer them ASAP. The only thing I'll be updating personally will be this blog and my part on Les Maquillage Babes :)

Hope you guys understand. I'm going through a rough patch right now, and I feel like distancing myself from people is the best thing to do.. I'll be back, I promise. Hopefully by then I'll be better. I love you all. Thank you for always inspiring me, encouraging me, and making me feel loved. :) I'm gonna miss talking to a lot of you, but this hiatus is much needed. See you all on a better day. 

xx

Carla

Carla on Instagram (Part 1)

If you're not following me on Instagram, here's what you're missing out on!

Liebster Award ♡

Hey guys! I am one of the bloggers nominated for the Liebster Award. 

The Liebster Award is designed to help promote blogs with less than 200 followers. 

Rules:

1. List with 11 facts about myself.
2. Answer the 11 questions I attributed.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers with 200 followers or less, put the link in this blog post them and warns them about the award.
4. Make 11 new questions to bloggers that I appointed for the prize.

Eleven facts about me:

1.  I do not know how to swim, nor do I intend on ever learning.
2. I love White Collar, Suits and Law and Order SVU! :)
3. I do not have anything from Topshop that is of regular price. I dunno why I shared that, but... I think it's a fun fact :P
4. I try so hard to be a hipster.. Haha does that make me lame?
5. Obsessed with nautical stuff <3 Anchors, stripes, sail boats.. but I have never been sailing ever :))
6. I go to mass every Sunday, without fail. 
7. I have a letter tucked in my room dedicated for "the one" whenever that person comes along :D Hehe. 
8. I don't like sharing my food. 
9. I use 30 #hashtags on Instagram cause I want a lot of likes on my pictures and more followers. NOT EVEN ASHAMED.
10. I am a freak in the sheets.. Sobrang likot ko matulog.
11. I love to dance, and every time I see an amazing dance performance I cry. :( Haha.

Eleven Questions for bloggers:

1. Who is your favorite IG fashionista?

2. What's your favorite makeup brand?

3. How much is your budget when you shop?

4. Favorite lipstick shade from any brand?

5. Has your style always been the way it is or does it usually change depending on trends?

6. Favorite place you've ever visited?

7. How old were you when you had your first kiss?

8. Share something that's on your bucket list!

9. Craziest thing you've ever done in school?

10. Something you like, but most people don't?

11. Share something about your bestfriend! Put their picture too :)

Eleven Questions from Lea of  http://leaesguerra.blogspot.com/ :)

1.  Where do you usually shop for clothes?
SM Department Store, Landmark Department Store, Robinsons Department Store, In Fashion Hong Kong, random boutiques in LA. :) 

2. Do you have an Instagram account?

Yeah! Hope you guys follow me @itscarlasamson :)

3. What's the story behind your blog's name?

I've always loved bargains, and I've always lived in a tropical place.. thus we have Great Finds Where The Sun Always Shines lol! :) but if it's my URL, well.. it's just my name :P

4. Do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend? 

Nope! Very recently single. :P haha.

5. What's the reason why you made a blog?

I had so many great ideas I kept on talking to people about, and those people, my friends, encouraged me to put up a blog and share my fashion & beauty tips! :) 

6. What's your favorite quotation? 

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. :) 

7. What is the best memory you'll never forget?

Well.. there are two. :) The first would probably be my first date w/ my recent ex girlfriend. :) That was really special, and it's something I will never forget no matter how hard I try. :) My heart still flutters when I think about it. Haha :) Next best memory would be sleepovers at my friend Je's back when our whole kada was complete pa. :)

8. Do you always wear make up?

Yes, I do. Everyday! :)

9. Do you have a collection? 

Yeah! Makeup collection :P

10. Describe your fashion style.

Something in between preppy and a boho chic.. I know that's an odd combination, but it kinda works for me :p

11. What's your nationality? 

Filipino through and through! :)

Eleven Blogs I Nominate:

Any of you guys who are interested! Please join and let me know if you've done it :)

Prabal Gurung x Target

One of my fave things about US retail brands is that they team up with high end fashion designers to release a more budget friendly line. Most of their department stores do this like my favorites Walmart, Target, and H&M. I make it a point to buy from these retail brands when they're having collaborations, so I can say I'm wearing Jason Wu, Versace, or Max Azria :P Lol. 

I wasn't aware of the latest collaboration Target had, since I didn't see anyone in the blogosphere talking about it.. but I am so pleased that I found out about it on my own hihi :) The latest collab is with Prabal Gurung, and though I'm not very familiar with his works since he is a newbie on the fashion scene (his first runway was in 2009 at Bryant Park), I've heard that he's very accomplished :) Some of the famous women that have worn his works are Michelle Obama, Zoe Saldana and Lady Gaga.

Michelle Obama in Prabal Gurung

Lady Gaga in Prabal Gurung (I especially love the runway version! Obsessed with those lacey gloves aahhh)

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung WITH Prabal Gurung (isn't he a cutie? He's actually Nepalese for those of you wondering!)

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung WITH Prabal Gurung again! I find it adorable when these Hollywood stars actually have relationships with their designers :) I think she's his muse!

Below are my top picks from the Prabal Gurung for Target collab! These are all under $50 :)

Fave piece from the whole line! <3 Crisp white with a pop of blinding neon = PERFECT <3

Obsessed with these sandals! Perfect for all occasions!

Love this mirror print sweater! Looks so fresh and tropical!

Is this the cutest blazer ever or what? His designs are so clean but colorful!

The metal cuffs are a perfect touch. Trendy and feminine but with an industrial feel!

I wish I were in LA right now so I could buy everything in this collection :( I hope I can still find these pieces on e-bay! Huhu. If any of you know how I can purchase these from Manila (like an online store selling these) please let me know!! :) Hope you liked this quick post!

Follow me on Instagram: @itscarlasamson

Twitter: @itscarlasamson

Review: Ever Bilena Advance BB Cream - Anti Wrinkle

Hi guys! :) Welcome to my blog, for all the new comers! This post is my first ever review on a local product! Really excited to be doing this because I feel lately, I've been more adventurous with my makeup purchases. I usually stick to western brands, like my trusty Revlon, Covergirl, Maybelline and Lóreal drugstore products because those have been tried and tested by a lot of people compared to our locally developed products. 

In essence, all drugstore cosmetics (and even some high end ones) have the same ingredients. There are just a few tweaks here and there. I've always been scared of the brand Ever Bilena, I admit I use to think they sold "cheap" products, because they were priced cheap too. One day though, I really wanted to buy something from Watsons and I didn't have much money so I thought, why not drop by Ever Bilena and see what they have (I was also influenced by Ana Victorino, since I watch a lot of her tutorials and she uses EB) :) I started out with their matte lipstick, I picked it in the shade Mauvey -- and I knew.... I found my HG drugstore lipstick. Haha! I even tried to look for a high end dupe for it cause I was a bit shy that people would judge me that I was using Ever Bilena. Don't worry, I got over that fear and I use my Ever Bilena lipstick with pride. Haha! 

On to this review, I had been receiving a lot of questions on my ask.fm account (/JustAskCarla) about BB Creams. I've never used one, and I really don't believe all the hype surrounding it. I have extremely problematic skin, and I like going the whole 9 yards when prepping my face for the day. So when I heard that BB creams were meant to be a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock all in one -- I was skeptical. I quickly dismissed it. Haha. But I thought it was time to try it out, cause I was being curious myself. I decided that I would believe it was all people said it was until proven otherwise! I chose a fairly affordable BB cream so that if I don't like it, I won't feel bad. Alas, my Ever Bilena Advance Anti Wrinkle BB Cream purchase! 

There are 2 variations of the BB Cream  -- they both come in one shade each. I picked out the anti wrinkle one because it fit my NC25 skin pretty well, compared to the whitening one which was WAY TOO YELLOW FOR MY LIFE.

Let's get to the product review!

It comes in a white and pink squeeze tube which I like a lot! The packaging really won me over, since it would be easy to pump out the product. However, before using it, make sure that you shake it since the product's watery. It has 50ml worth of product, if I'm not mistaken.

Here's a swatch of it once you squeeze it out of the tube. The anti wrinkle has kind of a cool-ish slightly pink undertone.

It's fairly easy to blend since the product's a little runny. You can dot it all over your face and work on it that way. It doesn't dry too quickly.

This is how it looks once blended out. It has sheer-medium coverage, definitely buildable. The finish is natural, it comes off as matte in the beginning and after a few minutes looks more natural. Be sure to set it with loose powder for longer staying power.

Pros:

- Affordable at only P 195

- Easily available since most drugstores in Metro Manila carry the Ever Bilena line

- Packaging, the squeeze tube is easy for application

- The shade matches well for cooler skintones NC20-NC27

-Doesn't feel heavy on the face

- Has a natural finish (not too dewy but gives a natural glow)

- Doesn't melt when set with powder

-Offers good coverage (can cover slight redness and skin discoloration)

Cons:

- THE SMELL... ahh goodness it smells like a lola. No kidding. That's why I can't wear the product on my face enough to give you a whole day review.. My skin starts to itch when I can smell something on my face, and the smell in this product is way TOO strong

- Design of the package

Would I repurchase: Depends. If they reformulate this product and take out the scent, I WILL DEFINITELY REPURCHASE. If not, then it's a big NO. I'll skip. The scent was really a deal breaker :( However, if you think you can take a pungent smell on your face, this is a really good product. :)